Lakeland firefighters limit use of protective gear due to PFAS exposure

LAKELAND, Fla. - When Lakeland firefighters get a call, they used to throw on their bunker gear – a fire jacket and pants – jump on their rig and speed toward danger.

The gear is supposed to protect them, but those uniforms may be doing the opposite, exposing them to chemicals that put them at higher risk for cancer.

In their off time, it was tradition for firefighters to take photos of their kids all geared up in the over sized uniforms.

"We would do public events and we would let the kids put on the gear," recalled Lakeland Fire Rescue Lt. Steven Connors.

Now, the Lakeland Fire Department is taking steps to protect the people on the front line from one of the most necessary parts of their jobs.

Their uniforms are full of chemicals known as PFAS -- per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances – exposure to which may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals, according to the EPA.

It’s believed that the risks include cancer, which Lakeland FR Chief Doug Riley said is the highest killer of firefighters in America.

But there is no alternative.

All protective gear currently on the market contains PFAS. To reduce negative risks, Lakeland firefighters no longer wear bunker gear when they go on medical calls, and sometimes when they respond to a fire alarm when there’s not a verified report of flames. 

Even with that, they are still playing a game of Russian roulette with cancer because smoke, which they deal with every day, contains cancer-causing carcinogens. 

Still, Lakeland is doing what it can.

"We shower withing the hour. We [decontaminate] the equipment before [we] ever leave the scene," Chief Riley said.

And now, they only wear protective gear when absolutely necessary.